Grief Support

We are here for you

Grieving for a loved pet is a natural, normal and personal process. The manner and intensity of reactions to this loss will be different for each person. Reactions will depend on the circumstances surrounding the death, depth of attachment to the pet, personal experiences with grief and state of mind when death occurs.

There are many ways to grieve for a pet as there are pet owners. However, there are a few universal feelings that most of us experience during the grieving process:

-Shock and denial
-Anger and guilt
-Sorrow and depression
-Healing

At Affordable Care we honor the human–animal bond and understand that in our society, each of us is expected to minimize our sorrow for our deceased pet. However, our feelings linger, long after the loss, because our pets shared our lives, our dreams, our homes and our affection. Because they touched our lives so deeply, they are deserving of our grief. For this reason, our hospital offers various ways you can memorialize your loved one including cremation and clay paws. We also offer in-home euthanasia.

Recognizing the need for pet owners to talk, reminisce, and share stories about their lost pets, Affordable Care recommends resources to assist you through the grieving process.

“If there ever comes a day where we can’t be together, keep me in your heart, I’ll stay there forever.”

Further Reading

Children also need special consideration when a beloved pet dies. Many times, this is their first experience with feelings of loss, grief and bereavement. When a child experiences the death of a beloved pet, he or she may encounter emotional reactions that can be painful and frightening. Helping children understand their feelings at this confusing time is crucial, since this first experience with death sets the tone for handling future losses.